I was pleased to be establishing myself as a core member of the gym.

This was evident, for example, in invitations to the houses of long-term members. I enjoyed sitting on R&R’s thick dark brown carpet telling them that the teenage Rousse shared their taste in soft furnishings.

I also scored highly with fitness trainer MM when I introduced him to TPR. MM was impressed to see that my husband was mixed race. He was also astonished to find that the pair of them shared mutual friend Tim Hope (who happened to have a daughter who looked just like me). I was, however, a bit disappointed that TPR looked so skinny when he stood next to MM.

At my next pilates class, I spotted sisters M and D handing money over to M. They were signing up for M’s next fitness retreat day at the end of the month. If only I could attend too, then I’d have an even greater opportunity to integrate further with my fellow gym members.